In the prior art there are various types of connectors in general use. Numerous expedients exist for the connection of elements of flexible circuitry to each other or to printed circuit boards having like spacing between their conductive leads. For example, one of the more common type of connectors uses male or female components where one component is mounted on a circuit board and the other attached to a conductor. This is quite bulky, requires considerable area and transmission mediums are not maintained. Another connection scheme for overcoming the disadvantages of bulkiness and area required is to use a cable which is preferably flat and having insulation removed at one end .[.is.]. placed over conductors on a circuit board which are in a parallel array, spaced the same distance apart as the conductors in the cable. A clamp is placed over the cable to hold it against the circuit board. This system, however, has disadvantages in that miniature circuitry, such as found in modern elctronic apparatus, does not fully meet the requirements. To overcome this disadvantage, schemes using metal to metal contact between flexible circuit conductors and plated leads of a similar circuit or of a terminal board board which are pressed together by a compressive compression element as, for example, a multifingered spring which applies individual force from the insulated side of the flexible circuit and mounted in a clamping bar that fastens, clips or otherwise holds together the cable elements being connected. The disadvantage here, of course, being that the transmission mediums environment is changed by added capacitance of the metal spring elements and high frequency operation is quite limited.
Another connecting system presently in use on small square or rectangular leaded ceramic packages is the conventional reflow soldering technique. This, however, requires special production equipment and heat becomes a problem. As described in "Electronics", July 10, 1975, pages 39 and 40, a solderless connector consisting of alternate vertical layers of nonconductive and conductive silicone rubber fits between the leadless carrier and the surface of a printed circuit board. The combination resembles a sandwich, which, when pressed together electrically connects conductive elements on the printed circuit board and contacts on the integrated circuit carrier together. A disadvantage, however, is that well matched, high frequency connections are not easily obtainable.